Mechanism for removing useful fiber from seeds



A. A. VARDELL, DEC'D.

H. G. VARDELL, EXECUTRIX.

NIECHANISIVI F'ORUREMOVING USEFUL FIBER FROM SEEDS.

AFFLICATIQN FILED -AUG- 9| 1919.

Patemd Apr. 26, 1921i@ 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MNT

A. A. VARDELLQ DECD.

H. G. VAHDELL. ExEcuTRlx.

MECHANISM FOR REMOVING USEFUL FIBER FROM SEEDS.

APILlCATION FILED AUG.'9,-9l9.

Paf-,mmm 26, w21

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. A. VARDELL, DECD..

H. G. VARDELL,EXECUTR1X. MECHANISM FOR REMoviNG luseful. FIBER FROM SEEDS.

APFLICATION FILED AUG91 1919.

Patented Apr. 26, 192i.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

STTES -RATE` OFF! ARTHUR A. VARDELII, OF DALLAS, TEXAS; HTGHLND GEE VARDELL EXECUTRIX 0F SAID ARTHUR A. VARDELL, DECEASED.

MECHANISM FOR REMOVNG 'USEFUL FIBER FROM SEEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921i.

pplication filed August 9, 1919. Serial No. 316,459.

T 0 all 'whom it may concer/1t;

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. VARDELL, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented new and-useful Improvements in Mechanism for Removing Useful Fiber from Seeds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the general class of machines adapted to remove fibers from their attachments, such as gins, cotton seed linters, wool-burring machines and the like.

Machines of this type are broadly alike, but for cotton the operation is customarily carried out in two stages, the gin proper being relied upon to remove the long-fibered cotton from the seed and the linter (or delinter) gin being employed to work upon the cotton seed, the product of the gin proper, to remove from it the short adherent bers. The gin proper and the linter gin differ from each other essentially only in the adjustments, proportions or dimensions of the parts appropriate'to their specific duties. This invention has particular reference to means for the recovery of liber or particles, applicable to saw gins and other machines adapted for either use.

Gins proper are customarily worked in a battery or multiple unit of from two tosiX gins delivering to a common air flue, in turn delivering to a condenser, by which the fiber is removed from the air current and the dust and some short-liber delivered as waste to the outer air. Linter gins may also be joined in a battery, but customarily heretofore linter gius have been provided with individual condensers. This is due to the greater necessity for care in the adjustment and operation of the linter gin, it being desirable for this reason toI observe constantly 'the product of each individual machine in order to 'maintain its adjustments for delivering a proper portion of i the lint or for making/a proper type of product in regard to freedom from motes. The individual-condenser linter, like all saw gins, delivers a great volume of air as an incident of the operation of the doiiing brush forming a part of the This air, charged with ne particles of lint and dust,

passes into the room', menaces the health andeiciency of the operators, and constitutes a serious fire risk. T am aware of attempts to minimize these risks by connecting the tion of gins proper; a great gain in eiliciency, freedom from gin damage and in quality of the lint cotton follows capacity for an expert foreman to examine from time to time the product being produced by the individual gin, so that prompt discovery of need for corrections and identification of the particular gin responsible may be made. Tn the best practice of which I am aware 1n the prior art, pneumatic doiiing, or the common collection of fiber by suction applied to discharge openings or to individual condensers has resulted in unnecessary eX- penditure of power, often amounting to four or more horse-power per gin. The rotating elements of the gin itself move a great volume of air and expend power for this purpose. `When external pneumatic `*means are employed the air-moving effort of the elements of the gin is waste effort.

So far as T am aware, the operation of prior gms and linters also-has been defective in failure to prevent removal withthe seed of a proportion of the fiber actually separated bythe gin saws, and in 'failure properly to separate from the good lint a large portion of motes capable of such separation during the removal of the fiber from the seed, and difficult or impossible to remove at a later stage of treatment.

Principal objects of my invention are to provide for the complete and economical recovery of the fiber separated from the seed by the gin, to separate from the fiber a maX- imum percentage of motes and impurities, to provide capacity for determining at will the behavior of each individual gin of any number of gins` joined in a battery or multiple unit; and toutilize the driving force employed to work the gin elements to a larger extent than heretofore by 'employing the air-currents set up by the moving parts to perform new functions. Further objects are to provide a gin or linter adapted to operate Without delivering into the work-roomv "plementfsuch as a gin saw, by means utilizing the same volume of air over and over.

` Further objects are to provide in a gin or .linter 'n for the improved separation of motes fliiom the product, to provide for the improved separation from the saws of a saw gin of fibers and thereby to save 4lint heretofore Wasted, and to provide for separating i from the lint and removing from each gin a large proportion of the dirt, sand, leafscrap and other waste, and to improve the fiber-collecting means.

In some aspects the invention is not confined to gins but is applicable to openerbeaters, pickers, cards and iberworking or other machines delivering a volume of airborne locculent or separated light substances Acarried by a current of air as an incident of the operation of the machine, the invention comprising a system for pneumatically conveying away from the disintegrating point the substance in question for removingthe substance from the air current`carryingit, and for removing waste materials, and for then returning the air freed of the substances for further use in the same cycle, the

system thus being characterized by a closed 'pneumatic circuit and the separate collec-v tion of the useful fiber or waste substances.

I do not herein claim the genus including certain features relating to moting and the recovery of separated fibers heretofore commingled with the seed and lost, these generic features being described and claimed in my application Case III, presently to be filed.

I have elected to illustrate the genus comprising the" invention by an example of one species for use as a linter gin, as shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a vertical central section on lines 2 2 of Figs. 2 and 3 of a linter gin according to my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan; and

Fig. 4 is a diagram plan on a reduced scale illustrating a battery or multiple unit of such linter gins and their adj uncts.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the machine frame mayas usual comprise uprights 1, side A panels ln and wooden or metal longitudinal struts 1b, 1", etc., the end frames having thereon bearings for a saw shaft 2, a doifer brush shaft 3 and a breast pivot 4 in the desired relation. The pivoted breast, as usual may carry affloat roll shaft 6. Preferably the center of the shaft 3 for the doffer brush 5 having the usual longitudinal lags 5'L with longitudinal rows of wires or bristles ginned to reduce particles and the` thereon is placed farther forward than usual so that the contact of the saws 10 with the vbrush 5 occurs nearer the bottom of the saw cylinder than usual, for purposes which will presently appear.

Any usual or preferred breast 8, grate 9, and seed-board 11 may be provided, the Seed-board 11, the grate 9, and the upper rail 9a constituting the grate fall pivoted at. '1, as usual. The longitudinal frame member 1c may carry any preferred feeder hopper 12 and bearings and actuating means for feeder roll 13, feeder gate 15 and other dev sired adjuncts of the feeder mechanism. The brush 5 is as usual driven at a much higher peripheral speed than the saws 10,

the brush cylinder and a frame member 1hcarry a preferably metal housing extending the length of the brush cylinder and forming a stop 15 in the internal space between the panels lf.' The space enclosingthe brush 5 is further restricted by curved metal walls 16 between the panels 1a and extending from the frame member 1b at the-rear of the gin to a point beneath and in front of the axis of the saw cylinder 10, this curved wall being supported by frame longitudinals 1e in such a manner as to provide a passage surrounding the brush cylinder preferably of a form as shown in-the figure, somewhat wider at its entrance beneath the saw cylin` der than at a point immediately beneath the brush, and then sweeping into a passage between the stop 15 and the point of attachment of the wall 16 to the frame member 1b.

The passage defined by the plates 16 is a pneumatic delivery passage 17 which is extended by any convenient structure to an individual condenser at the rear of the gin.

The passage 17 may be extended vertically by its communication with a somewhat narrowerpassage 18 formed in an extension 20 at the rear of and preferably somewhat less wide than the saw cylinder 10 and brush cyl-- inder 5. Av preferred construction provides end frames 21 for a casing 20 erected on the longitudinals 1b and 1f, held by the end frames 1. Frames v21 may be of cast or stamped metal and preferably are of the form best shown in Fig. 1 outlining a separator casing of relatively large proportions at the back and to the rear of the gin. The frame 21 m-ay be separated at 21'L the upper part 21b being provided with a bent metal cover 22. and strengthening lags 23.

The construction is such as to provide for cylinder than usual.

'40a bolted at 40h to strut lf. Vcover boards 41 and curved plates 42, 42

remesa the entrance of the passage 1'8 continuing the passage 17 in a direction along the curved wall 22 of the separator casing 20.

The reduction in width of the passage 17 to enable it to communibate with the narrower passage 18 may/be effected by metal plates 26 closing the passage between the stops 15 and the wall 16 of the passage 7 at a sloping angle as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.V The longitudinal struts'lb and 1f are employed to support one wall 18a of the passage Y 18 and the front wall of this passage may be provided by the boards 1g resting on the longitudinal 1h. Above the frame member 1f an extension 18b of the wall 18'1 is preferably placed.

The casing 20 is provided at its sides with large openings 30 communicating with hollow casings 31 integral with or attached to the ends 21 of the separator casing 20. The full interior width of the casing 20 between the openings 30 may if desired be occupied by a revolving condenser screen 32 mounted on suitable spiders 33 on a condenser shaft 34 having bearings at 35, 35, in brackets on the longitudinal strut 1t and provided with a pulley 36 or other suitable means for rotating the screen 32 at a relatively hi h speed, preferably above about 200 R. P.

The casings 31 at each end communicate with integral or attached curved casings 40 which may be cast or stamped metal ducts communicating with or formed as a part of the upper-part 1k of the main side frames l of the gin, and preferably having bridges Longitudinal complete with the casings 40 passages leading from the open ends of the condenser 32 past the blast passages 17, 18 and above the stop 15 tolthe intake surface ofthe fan constituted by the rotating gin brush 5. While it is preferred to provide the screen 32 to reduce the amount of liber carried by the circulating air, its use is not essential to full recovery of the liber.

By reason of the position ofthe gin brush 5 that exposed portion of the surface of the saw cylinder 10 emergent from the grate 9 is a greater are of the periphery of the saw ln order to separate motes (by which l refer to all impurities such as immature seed, sand, sticks and seed particles or leaf scrap and other matters having sucient weight to be thrown from the saw by the centrifugal action of the saw) l employ the primary velocity given to the motes by the motion ofthe saw, relying on their separation by this means rather than by the .secondary velocity given the motes after their engagement with the brush and commingling with the lint on the brush which has heretofore constituted the best practice of which I am aware. By removing the brush to a part of the periphery of the saw substantially opposite to its engagement with the roll of cotton seed in the roll box between the breast 8 and grate fall 9,

there is sufficient room to place a defiector for the motes inl position to separate the particles thrown off tangentially to the saw from the fibrous particles and fibers engaged upon the saw and traveling with it. The mote dedector may comprise a plate 50 mounted on a triangular strut 51, and may be mounted to be adjusted by the screws 52 taking into the strut 51. The structure 50, 51, 42, effectively separates the motes from the gin brush 5, and constitutes an air-seal against air flowing out of casing 40.

Uutside of and beneath the mote delector 50 an exterior cover 53 is arranged so as to form a channel 54 for a spiral conveyer 55 adapted to be suitably driven from one end.

In operation the motes thrown out by the mote deector 50 are removed from the machine by the conveyer 55 and deposited at one endof the gin. The opening at the ba'ck of the vertical .frame member 1n which supports the'breast and feeder may if desired be closed by a plate 57, but ordinarily so little lint is thrown off with the motes by the rotating saws as to make this provision unnecessary. Y

At the front of the gin immediately beneath. the seed board 11 and near the periphery of the saws between the place where they are doed by the action ofthe brush 5 and the place at which the saw teeth renter the grate 9, a suction nozzle 60 communicating with a suction trunk 61 extending beneath the gin and, if desired, common to a battery of gills, is arranged. Preferably the nozzle 604 comprises the plate 16 as its rear wall and a curved plate 62 as a front wall suitably 'attached to the platevl at each side of the gin at (each end of the saw cylinder, and communicating with the duct 61 throughout its width. ln all saw gins a substantial proportion of the fibers, usually shortibers, is engaged with the side of the saws well within their peripheries, or is car` ried in the dead air rotating with the saws and between the same, and this proportion of the fiber is not reached and cannot be removed by the bristles of the brush 5. The supposed action of the air-current from the brush to dotf this space is not infact 'ef'- fective. But as the rotating peripheries of the saws approach the grate an ejection cur rent of the dead air between the saws flows out from between them and this causes a 5 is taken from this'dead airjspace`-between the saws and delivered intothe .duct 51, and."

the loss of this fiber by commingling it with the stripped seed is avoided.

It will be observed that the Condenser cyl#` inder 32 occupies a small part only of the casing 20 and is separated from the extension 18b of the duct 18 by a considerable distance, suiicient to encourage an eddy flow of the air, current delivered by the brush 5 in the casing 20. The effect of this current of air in the casing 20 is not only to deliver a greater part of the lint past the upper sur" face of the rotating condenser cylinder 32, but' to cause the current to eddy within the space in the casing 20 and so to cause the .remainingin it is deposited or thrown back into the eddy current in casing 20 before all of the air moving in this current blows out through the openings 30 in the ends of the cylinder 32. The rapid rotation of this cylinder throws from 'it any considerable accumulation of fiber, and prevents adhesion of fiber masses requiring to be mechanically removed. The stripped air is returned through the passage in the casing 40 to the intake side of the rotating brush to be repeatedly passed through the screen cylinder 32. All of the fiber is thus eventually removed rom the air-current, although a considerable portion of the fiber may pass through the meshes of cylinder 82.V

Advantage is also taken of the eddy current in the casing 20 to separate from the lint moving in the casing 20 the greater part of its contained heavy but fine sand and dust. The casing 20 comprises a ldirt hood 70 as a closed projection trom one of the lower inclined walls ofthe casing throughout itsV width, but the curve of the wall 22' is continued within the casing by the perforated metal or woven wire mesh screen 71 dening within the hood 7 0 a space 72 containing comparatively dead air in which tne dust can settle. The fiber-laden air current flows past the screen 71, through which the dust is swept by the minute concretions of liber traveling on its inner surface. The space 72 communicates at the b/ottom with a trough 73 in which a spiral conveyer 74 is mounted for rotation by any suitable means (not shown).

The good and clean lint collecting inthe bottom of the casing 20 falls against a rotating valve 75 having flexible ribs 76 working in a fitting concave 77 and nearly but not quite touching the inclined bottom 78 of' the casing 20. The valve 75 delivers into a tected by van air baille plate 82.

To enable the frequent `inspection of the individual product of any gin of abattery or series, an inwardly opening gate 85 hinged at 86 above the conduit V81 and hav-v .i

ing latch 87 permitting it to be turned into the dotted line position is provided, in order to permit the entire delivery of the gin to take place outside of the conduit 81 for inspection of the quality of the product Referring now to Fig. 4, whether or? not the gins are arranged in a battery or series theexhaust through the conduit 61 and the blast through the conduit 81 is eiected by a fan 90 delivering into the conduit 81 and taking air from the conduit 61. taken into the conduit 61 through the nozzles 6() is delivered to the. condenser through the conduit 81. Any suitable means may be provided in the condenser for ventilation to take care of the stripped air excess such as the usual screened flue 92 for a battery condenser delivering to the outer air. enduits 61 and 81 may extend past and receive lint from any desired number of linters or gins. lt will be observed that the destination of the lint taken in by the nozzle 60 at the front of the saws is the conduit 81, where it joins the other cotton directly received through the delivery valve and delivery conduits 80 of the respective gins. It will also be observed that the pneumatic currents employed within the gins are closed currents, and the internal conduits 17, 18, 20, 40, constituting an individual closed air-circuit at each gin. The'volume of air moved by fan 90 may be no morethan that customary for delivering the cotton from the gins.

By the above-mentioned devices the .air of.

the work room containing thegins is completely protected from dust and ine lint thrown oif by the operation of the gins, the recovery of useful lint from the air cur,- rents made absolute, and the power required for the pneumatic operations is taken from air-currents set up as incidents of working the ginning parts, and heretofore wasted.

Any suitable means for driving the respective elements of the machines shown,

such as those common in the prior art, may

be employed, and being within knowledge of' artisans skilled in this art have not been described or fully shown.

What I claim is:

1. lThe combination in a gin with the means for separating useful fibers from their attachments of mechanical means for doffing the separator means and throwing the ber into an air-current set up by the doier The air and flowing in a closed circuit, means for l 1,375,985 i f v5.

separating the ber lfrom the laden airi-curv rent, and means for returning the current to the doffer to receive more ber. 2. In a gin,l the combination ofmeans for separating useful bers from their attachments with means comprising a doifer for throwing the ber into an air-current set up by the doffer and owing in a closed A circuit Within the gin, and means for removing the ber from the air at one or more parts of said circuit.

3. The combination of ginning means With separator means and With pneumatic -means for delivering ber to the separator means comprising a rotary. doer for the ginning means adaptedto Set up a current of air, and a return passage for delivering the air stripped by the separator means to the ginning means, there to receive from the doer and convey further ber. 4.. A gin having Wholly therein a closed air-circuit, means for delivering the ber .of th product into said air-circuit, means for separating the ber-product from the current of air, and means for delivering the collected product out of the separator means.

5. A gin or linter having thereln separator means for removing from an air current created by the operation of a part of the gm its contained ber, said gin parts and the separator means being inclosed in a casing forming a closed circulatory air passage, said separator comprising an enlargement e passage in. which an eddy current of the ber-collecting air may flow.

'6. A gin or linter having therein a separator device for removing from an air-,cur-

rent created by the operation of the gin its contained ber, the air-current creating gin part and the separator being inclosed in a casing forming a circulatory a1r passage, Said separator comprising a screen and an enlargement of the passage in which an eddy current of the ber-collecting air is formed.

7. The combination with ginning means of a doiier brush and a casing having a passage in which the doffer brush creates a current of ber-laden air, With means for depositing the ber from the air-current by the action of the air-current, and means for delivering the stripped air to the doer brush to repeat the operation.

8. Mechanism for separating useful bers from seeds having therein means for detaining the seeds and rotating means for stripping the ber from the seeds and means for dofing the ber from said ber` stripping means, in combination with a 'casing comprising a circulatory passage having therein the doingvmeans and means for stripping an air current traveling in said passage of ber delivered into the air-current induced by rotation of the doing means.

9. Mechanism for separating useful bers from seeds, having therein a grate for dei taining the seeds and a rotary saw cylinder for stripping the ber from4 the seeds and a rotary brush for doing the ber from the ber stripping means in combination with a casing havin a circulatory passage in cluding the doing brush, and means for separating. from the air moving in said passage useful bers, and 'for returning the stripped air to the doing brush;

f A gin or' the saw type comprising Aa rotary doing brush and having therein a casing surrounding the doing brush and comprising a pneumatic delivery passage receiving the air-current set up by rotation ofthe brush, said casingf .having a return passage delivering to the suction side ofthe fan `constituted by the brush, and means for stripping the air current owing in said passages of lber conveyed thereby, said passages and stripping means being substantially closed to the outer air. a 1l. lin a series of gins each comprising 1n combination, separator means, a closed circulatory air passage including the separator means, and means for delivering the ber removed by the operation of the gin into said closed air passage, and for creating a circulatory current of air in said passage and through said separator means, means common to the series for recovering ber thrown o" by the separator means and not-taken into the circulatory passage.

l2. A gin having therein a closed air-circuit, a rotary doifer for delivering the ber product into and maintaining air flow in said air-circuit, Vmeans for separating the ber from the current of air, and means for delivering. the separated ber from the gina 13. A gin having Wholly therein a closed air-circuit, means lfor delivering the ber product into said air-circuit, means for separating the ber'from the current of ail' comprising a separator casing and a screen interposed in the closed air-circuit Within said casing, and means for delivering the separated ber from the gin.

14C. A gin having therein a closed air-circuit, means for delivering the ber product into said air-circuit, means for separating the ber from the current of air, comprising a separator casing, a screen interposed in the closed air-circuit Within said casing and means ,for rotating said screen at a relatively high speed adapted to prevent adf hering deposits of ber on said screen, and means for Adelivering the separated ber from the gin.

15. A gin having therein an individual condenser-screen in a closed air-circuit, and adapted to centrifugally discharge accumulationsof lint formed upon its surface.

16,. A gin having therein a casing comprising part of a closed circulatory air-passage 1n which the current of air drops a portion of the lint conveyed thereby'l Y further portion of the lint from continuing to circulateji'n said passage. n

18. A gin having a casing comprising part of a closed circulatory air-passage in which the current of air drops a port1on of the lint conveyed thereby in combination with a rotary screen interposed in said airpassage and means for rotating said screen at a speed adapted to throw ofi accumulations of lint.

19. The combination of a series of machines for separatin useful fibers from their attachments eac characterized by an internal pneumatic circuit and means for separating the fiber from air flowing in said circuit, means fordelivering the separated fiber from each machine, and a common conveyer for receiving the delivered products,.with means for inspecting the individual deliveries of the respective machines. y

20. The combination ofa series of machines for separating useful fibers from their attachments each characterized by an internal pneumatic vcircuit and means for separating the fiber from air flowing in said circuit and each having pneumatic means for collecting otherwise wasted product at a point outside of said circuit, with a pneumatic conveyer common to all of the machines for delivering the liber collected by both said separating and said waste-collecting means.

21. A sawv gin having therein a grate, a seed-board, a saw cylinder, and a doing brush, in combination with pneumatic means for dolng from the saws at and near the point of entry of the saw-teeth through the grate lint traveling in the spaces between the saws.

22. A saw gin having therein a grate, a seed-board, a saw cylinder, and a doing brush, in combination with a suction trunk, and a suction nozzle having its intake beneath the seed-board and near the saws for doiiing from the saws between the place of action of the brush and the grate lint traveling in the spaces between the saws.

23. Ginning mechanism having therein a saw-cylinder, a doffer brush, and closedcircuit pneumatic means for conveying fiber away from the doffer brush comprising means for separating the fiber from the ail'V in combination with independently actuated pneumatic means for collecting fiber from the space between saws of the saw-cylinder. v 24. In ginning mechanism having a grate, a saw-cylinder, a seed-board and a substantially closed air-circuit for fiber laden air 25. A gin having therein a casing for an eddying air-current, educt passages leading from the sides of the casin a blast-passage leading into the casing, a apted to deliver its air-current in the: direction of an exterior wall of the casing, the casing h ving an unobstructed passage for eddy currents throughout 'its periphery, and means adapted to exhaust air from said educt passage and deliver said air andjthe fiber product of the gin into said blast-passage. l

26. A gin having therein a casing peripherally free for an eddying air-current, means for supporting a rotating screen in said casing, and one or more air discharge passages leading from lthe discharge surface of the.-

ed to exhaust air from `said educt passage and deliver said air and the fiber product ofthegin into said blast-passage.

28. A gin having therein a casing for an eddying air-current, educt passages leading from the sides of the casing, a blast-'passage leading into the casing adapted to deliver its air-current in the direction of an exterior wall 0f the casing and a rotary doffer-brush adapted to exhaustair from said educt passage and deliver said air and the fiber product of the gin into said. blast-passage.

29. The art of separating useful4 fibers from their attachments comprising pulling the fibers from their attachments by action of a rotating instrument, such as a gin-saw, separating motes 'thrown from the instrument from the fiber carried thereby, then removing the fibers from said instrument and throwing the released fibers into a circulating air-current moving in a substantially closed passage, and collecting the useful fiber deposited from said air-current at a4 ARTHUR A. VARDELL, 

